The state Board of Regents announced Wednesday a new reverse-transfer agreement with Iowa community colleges, according to a press release. The agreement will allow students who leave community colleges without completing their associate degrees to submit credits from a public university upon transferring in an effort to finish the degrees.

The regents believe the initiative will help to support Gov. Terry Branstad’s goal of creating 200,000 new Iowa jobs within the next five years.

“The Board of Regents recognizes the importance of supporting our students, keeping our graduates in the state, and growing Iowa’s educated workforce,” Regent President David Miles said in the release. “This new initiative will further enhance the contributions of Iowa’s public universities to these efforts.”

The pilot program for transferring the associate-degree credits builds on the collaborative agreement among the regents, public institutions, and community colleges that includes more than 1,000 program articulation agreements, according to the release.

The students’ community colleges will have the responsibility of evaluating the university credits and advising students on requirements to complete their degrees.

— by Ariana Witt